River Division Squadron Military Patches PBR Mobile Riverine Force

River Division Squadron Military Patches PBR Mobile Riverine Force

Brown-water navy is a term that originated in the United States Navy, referring to the small gunboats and patrol boats used in rivers. A broader meaning is any naval force that has the capacity to carry out military operations in river or littoral environments.

The term is used in contrast to the terms "green-water navy" and "blue-water navy". At one time, it was common to refer to all non blue-water navies as "brown-water navy". Today blue-water navies are generally defined as being capable of sustained oversea deployment, preferably with aircraft carriers,[citation needed] while green-water navies are defined as those with frigates or better, operating in coastal and regional area.

The brown-water navy is generally defined as one with patrol boats operating in rivers, lakes, and littoral regions. Being a brown-water navy does not imply that it lacks offensive capability, as many small littoral-combat ships today are armed with powerful anti-ship missiles.